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Farley opened his mouth. He looked like he wanted to take it back, but instead of doing that, he turned to the centaur and roared as loudly as he could.

Convinced by Farley’s roar of an imminent bear attack, the centaur screamed and then raced away, galloping at top speed back down the path that led to the main road.

A groaning Lord Alfred took off his sunglasses, rubbed his cute bunny eyes, and sighed. “This always happens in the presence of other males. The curse on the prince would be so much easier to handle if I were still a human. A rabbit couldn’t catch a centaur even on its fastest day. Usually, I have to wait for him to miss me and come back.”

Touch the wand to the rabbit’s head, Jezel’s bossy voice whispered inside my mind. It will temporarily lift the curse. The effects won’t last, but it will make his task of retrieving the prince more manageable. The same magic will not work on the prince, though. The blocks on him are too strong. The curse involves ancient fairy magic.

I briefly nodded to let Jezel know I understood. The ghostly witch had terrible taste in clothes, but she sure knew her magic.

“Stay here, Farley. Don’t make me spell you,” I ordered. He growled softly at my command but stayed where he was.

I stepped down to Alfred and touched my wand to the space between his bunny ears. The rabbit immediately transformed into a man dressed in an expensive, custom-tailored gray suit. The resized sunglasses now hung from his fingers.

“I’m free. You freed me from the curse. How is that possible?” Alfred asked as he patted his human body. Once reassured he was truly human again, he slid off the hay bales and dusted off the back of his clothes with a hand.

“It’s a temporary reprieve, Alfred. The inn wanted to help you. Go after Prince Robin of Locksley and bring him back. While you’re doing that, I’ll get my jealous bear under control and fix your stable stall.”

“I apologize for his display of cowardice. His Highness is not a brave man because he’s never had enemies before. Please trust me when I say he is still quite an intelligent one,” Alfred said sadly.

I turned and narrowed my eyes at Farley. “I’ve met a lot of genius males lately. I’m sorry that Farley scared him so badly.”

“I will not harm him, but the centaur can’t stay here,” Farley said again.

I waved a hand at my stupid outfit. “Did you not see my stupid clothes? They are officially guests now, Farley. I’ve already said yes. What is your problem with them?”

“The centaur... he’s...” Farley chuffed and waved a hand. “He’s dangerous for you to be around.”

I huffed. “Not any more dangerous than you.”

Farley frowned. “I’m not dangerous—but even if I were—it’s still not the same. The centaur is dangerous in other ways. He is dangerous to your female side.”

I blew out a breath. “The centaur is not going to do anything to me. You can either help me prepare the stables for them or go home. I don’t have time to deal with your strange reaction to two cursed people. They came here for a reprieve. It is my job to give them one.”

“Be honest, Selene. Were you attracted to the centaur when he showed up?”

I grunted. “No, I was not.” Well, not technically. A few stray thoughts didn’t count. “I noticed he was handsome and had a sexy voice. Lord Alfred said the prince’s strong allure was part of his curse. What caused your growling fit?”

Farley blinked at the question like it surprised him. “I was issuing a warning. If he touches you, I will rip off his hand and slap him around with it. And I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.” Farley crossed his arms. “It’s a bear thing.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed heavily. I stared at the ceiling of the porch. “Get me out of these stupid clothes, Jezel. I have to change so I can muck out a stall. The Baba Yaga is going to pay for doing this to me.”

The innkeeper’s costume instantly disappeared, leaving me standing there in my short black dress and cute booties. The skirt flounced slightly as I jogged back up the porch stairs to enter the house.

Behind me, Farley swore, and he never swore. I didn’t know whether to laugh at his reaction to me in a proper dress or weep because the stupid guests had ruined our date. Tonight could have been my lucky night. Scratch that—it would have been our lucky night.

Farley rubbed a hand over his face. “Is that your idea of date clothes?”

“Yes. Do you like them?”

“Yes. You look amazing,” he said roughly.

“Well, too bad. I have to go put on my worst jeans now because my guest is a centaur who requires a freaking stall. Plus, I have to decide which shoes to sacrifice because I refuse to get animal poo on my best black booties.”

Farley scratched his jaw. “You look sexy in jeans too, Selene. Don’t you have something ugly to wear until he leaves? What about that ugly robe Auntie Carol borrowed? Did she ever return it?”

That robe was cozy and warm. A woman couldn’t keep the winter shivers away with a thin, silky robe, regardless of its sex appeal. I narrowed my gaze at the bear. “Keep that jealousy shit up and I will turn you into a lizard.”

I went into the kitchen and then to my bedroom to change. I felt oddly grateful to Jezel for interrupting my uncontrollable reaction to the cursed prince. Farley had been right about the prince being dangerous to my libido, but I still didn’t want another relationship where the guy I was dating felt like he owned me—body and soul.